CBS4 (Denver): Victory Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Commerce City, has paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle a First Amendment lawsuit filed by parents and students. The school is refusing to reveal precisely how much it paid, who received what amount, or any other details of the settlement, citing FERPA, a federal law that protects student academic records.

Multiple sources familiar with the settlement told CBS4 the school agreed to pay out nearly $500,000 to settle the case.

It stems from an incident at the school in 2017 when many students refused to recite the school pledge at a morning assembly. The school CEO, Ron Jajdelski, ultimately sent about 120 students home for the day. When some students later made derogatory comments about the school and Jajdelski on social media sites, or shared negative comments, they said they were expelled from the school or pressured to withdraw.

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